Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Opening This Week - August 5

I have not been a fan of DC's films of late, and the trailers for Suicide Squad have yet to impress me. I seem to be one of the few not completely on board for this movie. I get the fanboy fascination. To see the Joker and Harley Quinn and this collection of other DC villains (and Batman) all in one film is a can't miss right? But then you see the trailer and it's full of characters repeating lines like, "remember, we're the bad guys," and images of The Joker with a tattoo that says "damaged" across his forehead. It's simply bad, uninspired writing to feature a character who has his subtext literally written across his forehead. The trailers I've seen all channel the ones for Guardians of the Galaxy a few years ago, except they didn't have to remind themselves (and us) that they were bad guys over and over again. When it comes down to it, all the bright lights and explosions in the world won't cover for bad writing and flawed execution. Worse yet, DC is facing an uphill battle after the disappointment that was Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. I simply can't help looking at this film with a healthy dose of skepticism. It doesn't help that early reviews have left the film with a 37% on rotten tomatoes. It would seem this is going to be yet another misfire from DC that splits audiences and causes unending online debates.

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Nine Lives

Directed by: Barry Sonnenfeld
Runtime: 1hr, 27mins
Comedy, Family

I might have expected this from Barry Sonnenfeld, but Kevin Spacey? Surely he's better than this. Alright, alright, I'm sure it'll be fun for families with young kids. Maybe all it needs to do is entertain the young ones to be worth the time and money. Or you could just watch the old 1959 Shaggy Dog movie and be done with it. Unless of course you're a cat person rather than a dog person...

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Limited Releases:

Little Man

Directed by: Ira Sachs
Runtime: 1hr, 25mins
Drama

Ira Sachs is a director who has been gaining steam in the indie world. He is quickly becoming known as an auteur not to be missed. His most notable films thus far are Keep the Lights on (2012) and Love is Strange (2014). I haven't seen either. It might be time to clear up a film blindspot of mine. Or at the very least see this film that not only looks good, but has been getting good reviews as well. Here's hoping it expands upon it's initial limited release...

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Five Nights in Maine

Directed by: Maris Curran

Runtime: 1hr, 24mins

Drama

It's fairly surprising that a film featuring such considerable talent in David Oyelowo and Dianne Wiest squaring off could flop with critics, but that seems to be the case here. It looks to be an intriguing drama/thriller with great performances, but it's sitting at 29% on Rotten Tomatoes.

About Me

I studied Cinema and Digital Video Production at Northwestern College, interned in LA for Double Feature Films, and currently work at a TV station in Cedar Rapids. I love movies, and I enjoy writing about them too!